Water heater



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A. H. TRAGESER WATER HEATER Filed May l5, 1947 Aug. 31, 1948.

Patented Aug. 31, 1948 Albert '-H. Trageser,v

to Trageser Copper Manhassett, N. Y., assigner Works, Inc., Maspeth, Long Island, N. Y., a corporation Application May *'13, 1947, Serial No. 747,606

This invention relates to water heaters and is more particularly directed to water heaters for domestic use Without, however, being limited thereto.

Heretofore water heaters were provided with a ilue disposed internally of the tank and extending through the bottom thereof at which a gas burner is disposed. This arrangement has been found to` be very unsatisfactory and objectionable because, among other things, the accumulation of'sludge or other deposits on the inner surface of the bottom of the tank and around the lower end of the flue prevents or greatly reduces the conduction of heat through the bottom of the tank and the lower end of the flue to the water in the tank .with the result that the eiiiciency of the water heater is seriously impairedV and with the further result that the bottom of the ktank and/or the lower end of the due burn out. Moreover, in the prior arrangement it is ordinarily either impossible or impractical tov replace an impaired or burned out flue, and for this reason it is usually necessary and the practice. has been to discard the entire tank,' including the ue, and to provide a new water heater in the place of the old one.

The primary object of the present invention is to obviate the above mentioned objections and disadvantages. Further in accordance with the present invention provision is made to enable the iiue to be readily removed and replaced by another flue as conditions may require.

The above objects of the present invention and objects ancillary rthereto will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which are to be considered as illustrativeof the invention. but not in limitation thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. lis a side view of a the present invention;

i Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of the upper part of the heater on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, on a larger scale, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a Iperspective view of part of a flue provided with longitudinal ns instead of the circular ns provided on the flue as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. l v

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the water heater embodying the present invention comprises a water tank I 0 which, as here shown, consists of a cylindrical shell I2 and the upper and lower heads I4 and I6 respectively. Tank I ll is preferably made of copper but may be made of steel or Aany other suitable metal. A ilue or pipe I8, which is preferably made of copper but which can be made of any other suitable metal water heater embodying f 3 claims. (ci. 122-156) is y'disposed within the water tank Ill in position longitudinally thereof. The lower or inlet end 20 of said flue @projects through an opening 22 in the side of the tank near the lower end thereof, preferably at a point above the head I6, and the upper end 24 of the lflue 'projects through a top opening 26 which is here shown as provided in the upper head I4 of said-tank. It will be the gaseous`v products of combustion which pass into the flue through the lower end thereof from the gas (or oil) burner indicated more or less diagrammatically at B ow upwardly through the flue and are exhausted through the upper or outer end 24 of the latter. Preferably, as illustrated in the drawings, a, plurality of metal fins 28 are secured to the flue I8 in spaced relation longitudinally of said flue. 'As indicated there is a largev numberofsaid fins 28 so as toprovide maximuni heat conduction to the water in tank I0 during the passage of the heating medium through the ue. -As illustrated in Fig. k5, thefins, instead of .being circular, may extend longitudinally of the flue I8, as indicated at 28a.

It will be notedfthat the ue I8 extends continuously upwardly andy in non-reexed form from its inlet end 22 to its outlet end 24 and that for this rreason there are no bent .portions or pockets in the flue in which gases may collect and thereby causeyback-ring. Further it will be v`observed since the flue is located above the bottom of the tank, and is therefore clear ofsludge or sediment which may collect on the bottom of the tank, the flue is at all times surrounded by water and is thereby protected against burning out. Likewise, since the burner is locatedv at the side of the tank above `the bottom thereof, the directy application of the heat of the dame of the burner tothe bottom and the consequent impairment of the tank areythereby obviated.. Accordingly, it will be understood that the water heater of the present invention not only operates with improved efliciency and a resulting lower fuel consumption but also-basa longer life. p

`Provision is made, in accordance with a feature of thepresent invention, for arranging and securing the iiue to the tank in such manner as to enable the rflue, to be removed and replaced by another similar flue ,should such replacement become necessary. More specifically, as here shown, 'the fluev I8 is removably secured in the tank I0 with releasable Water-tight joint-forming means 30 and 32, respectively, between the flue andthe tank'` at the upper and lower openings 26 and 22, respectively, of the tank andthe adjacent upper and lower ends' 24l and 22, respectively, of the flue. The joint 30 comprises a metal fiange 34 brazed or otherwise secured to the upper end 24 of the flue externally of the latter in water-tight relation therewith as indicated at 36 (Fig. 3). A companion flange 38 is understood thatv -in ilange 34 and are threaded disposed externally of the tank around the top opening 26 thereof, externally of the tank, and is brazed or-otherwise suitablysecure'd to'the tank in water-tight relation therewith as-indicated at 43. Flange 34 is releasably secured to flange 38. with an :l2 therebetween, by means of a plurality @f 'lbolts 44 which pass through companion openings' 443 openings 48 in iiange 38.

The joint 32 comprises a is brazed o-r otherwise suitablysecured to the lower end 2S) of the flue externally thereof in water-tight relation therewith as indicated at 52 (Fig. Ll). It will be noted that flange 5i) is disposed internally of the water tank Iii. A metal collar, which may'also be termed ya looseange, is disposed around the end of flue IB externally of the tank, and a plurality'of bolts '55 pass through companion openings in collarv 515 and in the shell l2 and are threadedflnto screwthreaded openings 53 in flange 50. Water sealing gaskets 5S and-52 areinterposed between shell i2 and flanges 5U and 54 respectively. These gaskets are preferably formedjof asbestos.V Gasketl 42 between flanges Silly and 38, may also'be formed of asbestos. v

It will be understood that the flue I8 may be removed Vfrom the water tank lll through the opening when flange 34- is released from flange 38 and when flange 59is released'frorn bolts 5E. In this connection it will-be noted thatY the removal of nue I8 through opening'fZ and the insertion of a replacement flue through said opening can be easily accomplished by moving the ue invthe- 'direction of its length through said opening, since said flue is substantially'of rectilinear form in the direction of its length except for a oomparatively'srnall endpart thereof which moreover has a large radius of curvature. It

will'` be understoodl that vthe overall diameter of the flueVincludingnthe-fins 23-or 28a, when the flue is vprovided with-such iins, is sufficiently smallerthan the opening'Z to allow themovement of vthe flue through saidopening. VVIt will befunderstood that the bottom or lower heady l5 of the-'watertank? I does notrequire theA provision-of any opening thereinfsince the lower end of the ue does not pass throughsaid bottom of the tank.l The top ofthe tank is provided with a cold water inlet 64 and withv a hot Water outlet vri. Also, as hereshown, theshell'l'Z is provided with an opening 68 for a thermostat (notshown) for burner control.

Asr various changes inthe form and arrangement of parts of the water heater-may ber made Without departing from the underlying idea or principles'of the invention, it-is to beunderstood that kvariouscha'nges in the details of construe'- tiol and in tharrangemt Opai'ts may' be made, Without 1departing* from` the invention, within the'scope 'di the appended claims.l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desireto secure'by LettersuPatent, is: 1. A water heater, comprising awater tank, and a heatingflue positioned within-'said tank above the bottom thereof, and having allower inlet opening for the -heatingmedium I andl an upper l exhaust outlet,V lv'said flue extending con'- tinuously upwardly fromfsaid inlety to Vsaid exhaust outlet, said tank having a top `opening through which the upperv end-of said-f1ue projects andan opening 4in the side ofthetank interposed water sealing gasket into screw-threaded 1 metal flange 5B whichl latter, said flange being through which the lower end of said fiue projects, a flange on the upper end of said flue externally" of the? latter'irk liquid-tight relation therewith?, said ange being positioned externally of the tank at said top o-pening and sealing the releasably secured to said ta-nk;N and a flange on the lower end of said ue m'-fsaid' last "mentioned in liquid-tight relation, flange being positioned inextern'ally of the latter -tern'ally of the tank and sealing said opening in theside` thereof,V said last mentioned ilange being releasably-'secured to said side of the tank, said flange whereby said flue is top opening beinglarger than said last mentioned v' removable from said tank through said top lopening when both of said flanges 'are released from 4the' tank.

2.4A water heater7 comprising a'water tank having' upper and lower openings, a heating flue positioned within said tank and extending betweeny said openings, a ange on the upper end oi said'ilue vexternally of the latter in liquid-tight relation therewith; said flange being positioned externally` of the ltank at said top opening and sealing" the" latter, said' iiange` being releasably secured `to saidtankgfand a flange on the lower end kof said :iiuef'externally'of the latter in liquidtightf relation, `said last* mentioned ilange being positionedinternally of the tank and sealing said lower opening, said last mentioned flange being releasably se'cured'tos'aidtank around said opening,A said topfop'ening being larger than said last mentionediange 'whereby said flue is removable from saidtank through said top opening when both of 'said' arigesarelreleased from the tank.

nrfwate'r'heater, comprising' a water tank having upper and-lower openings, a heating flue positioned within said-'tank and extending between saidopenings', a frange on the upper end of said-line' externally of the latter' in liquidtight-relationtherewith, said iiange being `positioned externally of the tank at said top opening and sealing the latter, said ilarige being releasably `secu'red"to"saidtank, and a ange lon the lowerend of-saidfflue externally of the latter in liquidi-'tight 're1ation, said' last mentioned flange beingpositioned-internal-ly of the tank and sealing said lower opening; said last mentioned flange being-releasably secured Sto' said tank around said opening; said' topf opening being larger than said lastmentioned flange whereby said 'lue is removable from saidtank, throughL said 'top o'pening` when -loothA of salidflanges are' releasedy from the tank, the major part of said flue being subtantially rectilinear longitudinally of the ilue andjhavea lowervcurved'longitudinal part of a sufficiently large radius to 4clear said top opening by progressivemovement of the ue in the direction of'itsnlength through said opening;

A ALBERT H'. TRAGESER.

f REFERENCES CT ED v'lfhe following references are of' record in the iile of -thispatent: 

